general be retired under this act, it shall be without reduction in
his current pay, subsistence, and allowances."
On October 31, 1861, General Scott addressed Hon. Simon Cameron,
Secretary of War, the following communication:
"SIR: For more than three years I have been unable, from a
hurt, to mount a horse or to walk more than a few paces at a time,
and that with much pain. Other and new infirmities--dropsy and
vertigo--admonish me that repose of mind and body, with the
appliances of surgery and medicine, are necessary to add a little
more to a life already protracted much beyond the usual space of
man. It is under such circumstances, made doubly painful by the
unnatural and unjust rebellion now raging in the Southern States of
our lately prosperous and happy Union, that I am compelled to
request that my name be placed on the list of army officers retired
from active service. As this request is founded on an absolute
right, granted by a recent act of Congress, I am at liberty to say
that it is with deep regret that I withdraw myself in these
momentous times from the orders of a President who has treated me
with much distinguished kindness and courtesy, whom I know upon much
personal intercourse to be patriotic, without sectional prejudices;
to be highly conscientious in the performance of every duty, and of
unrivaled activity and perseverance; and to you, Mr. Secretary, whom
I now officially address for the last time, I beg to acknowledge my
many obligations for the uniform high consideration I have received
at your hands, and I have the honor to remain, sir, with the highest
respect, etc."
The following day, November 1st, a special meeting of the Cabinet was
convened, and it was decided that the request, under the circumstances
set forth in the letter, should be complied with. At four o'clock of
that day the President and his Cabinet proceeded to the residence of
General Scott. The scene is well described by General Edward Davis
Townsend, a member of the general's staff, who was an eye-witness, and
who says: "Being seated, the President read to the general the
following order:
"'On the 1st day of November, A.D. 1861, upon his own
application to the President of the United States, Brevet
Lieutenant-General Winfield Scott is ordered to be placed upon the
list of retired officers of the Army of the United States, without
reduction in his current pay, subsistence, or allowance. The
American people will hear with sadness and deep emotion that General
Scott has withdrawn from the active control of the army, while the
President and unanimous Cabinet express their own and the nation's
sympathy in his personal affliction, and their profound sense of the
important public services rendered by him to his country during his
long and brilliant career, among which will be gratefully
distinguished his faithful devotion to the Constitution, the Union,
and the flag when assailed by parricidal rebellion.
"ABRAHAM LINCOLN.'
"General Scott thereupon arose and addressed the Cabinet, who had also
risen, as follows:
"'President, this honor overwhelms me. It overpays all the services I
have attempted to render my country. If I had any claims before, they
are all obliterated by this expression of approval by the President,
with the remaining support of the Cabinet. I know the President and
his Cabinet well. I know that the country has placed its interests in
this trying crisis in safe keeping. Their counsels are wise, their
labors as untiring as they are loyal, and their course is the right
one.
"'President, you must excuse me. I am unable to stand longer to give
utterance to the feelings of gratitude which oppress me. In my
retirement I shall offer up my prayers to God for this Administration
and for my country. I shall pray for it with confidence in its success
over all enemies, and that speedily.'
"The President then took leave of General Scott, giving him his hand,
and saying that he hoped soon to write him a private letter expressive
of his gratitude and affection.... Each member of the Administration
then gave his hand to the veteran and retired in profound silence."
The Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of War accompanied
General Scott to New York the next morning. On the same day (November
1st) Secretary Cameron addressed the lieutenant general the following
letter in response to the latter's of the day previous:
"GENERAL: It was my duty to lay before the President your
letter of yesterday, asking to be relieved on the recent act of
Congress. In separating from you, I can not refrain from expressing
my deep regret that your health, shattered by long service and
repeated wounds received in your country's defense, should render it
necessary for you to retire from your high position at this
momentous period of our history. Although you are not to remain in
active service, I yet hope that while I continue in charge of the
department over which I now preside I shall at all times be
permitted to avail myself of the benefits of your wise counsels and
sage experience. It has been my good fortune to enjoy a personal
acquaintance with you for over thirty years, and the pleasant
relations of that long time have been greatly strengthened by your
cordial and entire co-operation in all the great questions which
have occupied the department and convulsed the country for the last
six months. In parting from you I can only express the hope that a
merciful Providence that has protected you amid so many trials will
improve your health and continue your life long after the people of
the country shall have been restored to their former happiness and
prosperity. I am, general, very sincerely,
"Your friend and servant."
In his first annual message to Congress, Mr. Lincoln deplores the
physical necessity that compelled the retirement of Scott in the
following language:
"Since your last adjournment Lieutenant-General Scott has retired from
the head of the army. During his long life the nation has not been
unmindful of his merits; yet, in calling to mind how faithfully and
ably and brilliantly he has served his country, from a time far back
in our history, when few now living had been born, and thenceforward
continually, I can not but think we are still his debtors. I submit,
therefore, for your consideration what further mark of consideration
is due to him and to ourselves as a grateful people."
In virtue of this act and in pursuance of the foregoing request on
November 1, 1861, the lieutenant general having been retired from
active service, General Orders No. 94 announced that "the President is
pleased to direct that Major-General George B. McClellan assume
command of the Army of the United States." On assuming the important
command to which he had been designated, General McClellan on the same
day issued his General Orders No. 19, in which he gracefully and
feelingly alludes to the retiring commander:
"The army will unite with me in the feeling of regret that the weight
of many years and the effect of increasing infirmities, contracted and
intensified in his country's service, should just now remove from our
head the great soldier of our nation--the hero who in his youth raised
high the reputation of his country on the fields of Canada, which he
hallowed with his blood; who in more mature years proved to the world
that American skill and valor could repeat, if not eclipse, the
exploits of Cortez in the land of the Montezumas; whose life has been
devoted to the service of his country; whose whole efforts have been
directed to uphold our honor at the smallest sacrifice of life; a
warrior who scorned the selfish glories of the battlefield when his
great abilities as a statesman could be employed more profitably to
his country; a citizen who in his declining years has given to the
world the most shining instances of loyalty in disregarding all ties
of birth and clinging to the cause of truth and honor--such has been
the career, such the character, of WINFIELD SCOTT, whom it
has long been the delight of the nation to honor, both as a man and a
soldier. While we regret his loss, there is one thing we can not
regret--the bright example he has left for our emulation. Let us all
hope and pray that his declining years may be passed in peace and
happiness, and that they may be cheered by the success of the country
and the cause he has fought for and loved so well. Beyond all that,
let us do nothing that can cause him to blush for us; let no defeat of
the army he has so long commanded embitter his last years, but let our
victories illuminate the close of a life so grand." General Scott
lived to see the fulfillment of this devout prayer in a restoration of
the union of the States.
General Scott held in great reverence the fame and memory of the
Father of his Country, and was desirous that Mount Vernon should be
left undisturbed during the trouble arising from the civil war. A
report was sent abroad that the bones of Washington had been removed.
This report was wholly without foundation, but it created a great deal
of excitement in both sections of the country. Through the efforts of
the lady regent who resided there, an understanding was arrived at by
which it should be regarded by both sides as neutral ground. The
general, however, issued General Orders No. 13, July 31, 1861, from
which is quoted: "Should the operations of the war take the United
States troops in that direction, the general in chief does not doubt
that each and every man will approach with due reverence and leave
uninjured not only the tombs, but also the house, the groves, and
walks which were so loved by the best and greatest of men." It is true
that neither party ever invaded the sacred precincts where repose the
remains of the illustrious Washington, but they were found when the
war closed to be in as fair a state of preservation as was possible
under the circumstances, and of partial suspension of husbandry. No
act of vandalism was attempted.
In the fall of 1861 Brigadier-General Charles P. Stone obtained
permission from General Scott to take a brigade and make a
demonstration along the line of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal toward
Harper's Ferry in order to afford an outlet for the fine wheat that
had been harvested about Leesburg, Virginia, to the large flouring
mills at Georgetown, adjoining Washington. This led to the battle of
Ball's Bluff, or Leesburg, October 21st, the death of Colonel Edward
D. Baker, of the Seventy-first Pennsylvania Infantry, and at the time
a senator in Congress from the State of Oregon, and the subsequent
arrest and close confinement of the unfortunate commander for several
months without charges of any nature having been preferred against
him.[D]
[Footnote D: General Stone (1824-1887) was arrested by order of the
Secretary of War and confined in Fort Lafayette, New York Harbor, from
February 9 to August, 16, 1862. The general impression that it was
done through the influence of Senator Sumner is denied by his
biographer, Mr. Henry L. Pierce. _Vide_ Life of Sumner, vol. iv, pp.
67, 68: Boston, 1893. Generals Grant and Sherman both stated to the
editor of this series, that it was an exceedingly arbitrary and unjust
act.]
On November 9, 1861, General Scott sailed for Europe in the steamer
Arago for Havre to join his wife, who was in Paris. Mr. Thurlow Weed,
a thorough loyalist and prominent politician, was a passenger on the
same ship. He and General Scott had been on terms of intimacy for over
thirty years. During the passage over the general gave Mr. Weed the
true version of how he came near being made a prisoner in 1814. After
apologizing in advance for the question about to be put and receiving
permission to propound it, Mr. Weed said: "General, did anything
remarkable happen to you on the morning of the battle of Chippewa?"
The general answered: "Yes, something did happen to me--something very
remarkable. I will now for the third time in my life repeat the story:
"The fourth day of July, 1814, was one of extreme heat. On that day my
brigade skirmished with a British force commanded by General Riall
from an early hour in the morning till late in the afternoon. We had
driven the enemy down the river some twelve miles to Street's Creek,
near Chippewa, where we encamped for the night, our army occupying
the west, while that of the enemy was encamped on the east side of the
creek. After our tents had been pitched I noticed a flag borne by a
man in a peasant's dress approaching my marquee. He brought a letter
from a lady who occupied a large mansion on the opposite side of the
creek, informing me that she was the wife of a member of Parliament
who was then in Quebec; that her children, servants, and a young lady
friend were alone with her in the house; that General Riall had placed
a sentinel before her door; and that she ventured, with great doubts
of the propriety of the request, to ask that I would place a sentinel
upon the bridge to protect her against stragglers from our camp. I
assured the messenger that the lady's request should be complied with.
Early the next morning the same messenger, bearing a white flag,
reappeared with a note from the same lady, thanking me for the
protection she had enjoyed, adding that, in acknowledgment for my
civilities, she begged that I would, with such members of my staff as
I chose to bring with me, accept the hospitalities of her house at a
breakfast which had been prepared with considerable attention and was
quite ready. Acting upon an impulse which I never have been able to
analyze or comprehend, I called my two aids, Lieutenants Worth and
Watts, and returned with the messenger.
"We met our hostess at the door, who ushered us into the dining room,
where breakfast awaited us and where the young lady previously
referred to was already seated by the coffee urn, our hostess asking
to be excused for a few minutes, and the young lady immediately served
our coffee. Before we had broken our fast, Lieutenant Watts rose from
the table to get his bandanna (that being before the days of
napkins), which he had left in his cap on a side table by the window,
glancing through which he saw Indians approaching the house on one
side and redcoats approaching it on the other, with an evident purpose
of surrounding it and us, and instantly exclaimed, 'General, we are
betrayed!' Springing from the table and clearing the house, I saw our
danger, and, remembering Lord Chesterfield had said, 'Whatever it is
proper to do it is proper to do well,' and as we had to run and as my
legs were longer than those of my companions, I soon outstripped them.
As we made our escape we were fired at, but got across the bridge in
safety."
After the battle of Chippewa the mansion described, being the largest
near by, was used as a hospital for the wounded officers of both
armies. The general went there to visit his officers, whom he found on
the second floor. On going there he met the hostess, who, by her
flurried and embarrassed manner, impressed the general with the belief
that she had endeavored to entrap him. But years after General Scott
was inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt and think that the
presence at the house of himself and staff was accidentally discovered
by the Indians and British.
The Arago touched at Southampton to discharge the English mail and
passengers, and here an exciting incident occurred. When the anchor
had been cast, a vessel steamed up, flying the Confederate colors,
which proved to be the cruiser Nashville. All was astir on the Arago,
as an attack was expected as soon as that vessel had cleared port and
got into neutral waters. The general asked the captain of the vessel
what means of defense he had. It was found that thirty muskets and two
cannon were available. The crew and those of the passengers who were
fit for duty were formed upon the forward deck and the business of
drilling was commenced, the general advising and in great measure
directing the preparations for defense. It turned out, however, that
the Nashville had put into Southampton for repairs, and the Arago
proceeded on her voyage in safety. After remaining one day at Havre
General Scott proceeded to Paris. The steamer that followed the Arago
brought news of the "Trent affair." On November 8, 1861, Commodore
Charles Wilkes, in command of the United States steamer San Jacinto,
on his return from the coast of Africa, put into Havana. On the same
day the British mail steamer Trent sailed from that port, having on
board as passengers James M. Mason, of Virginia, and John Slidell, of
Louisiana, Confederate plenipotentiaries to France and England. The
San Jacinto overhauled the Trent in the Bahama Straits, brought her to
by a shot across the bow, arrested and removed the Confederate
commissioners and their secretaries from the mail steamer, and brought
them to Fortress Monroe, where Commodore Wilkes awaited instructions
from Washington. They were subsequently removed to Fort Warren, in
Boston Harbor. The arrest and removal of these Confederate diplomats
created great excitement in England, and for a time it was feared that
hostilities between the countries would ensue. The affair was
commented upon severely by the press, and the subjects of Her
Britannic Majesty were at fever heat. Eight thousand British soldiers
were immediately dispatched to Canada, and the shipyards were put to
their utmost capacity. When the news and the excitement reached the
old hero, who had hoped that he would find some rest in Paris after
his long and eventful career, he determined at once to return to his
native country and be on the spot should his counsel and advice be
needed. He took the same steamer that he had gone out on and returned
home. The Trent affair was settled by surrendering the Confederate
commissioners, and war was happily averted.
During the years that followed, his advice was frequently sought by
the President and others high in authority. It was at West Point that
the general received the Prince of Wales when he visited this country,
and at the same place the interview occurred between Scott and Grant
when the former presented the latter a gift "from the oldest to the
greatest general." In December, 1865, General Scott went to Key West,
Fla., and remained there a portion of the winter. On returning, he
spent a few weeks in New York city, and then went to West Point. It
was then the incident mentioned took place between him and General
Grant.
As early as February 27, 1829, a report was made to Congress by the
Committee on Military Affairs upon the subject of establishing an
"army asylum fund," and letters were submitted from the major general
commanding and other officers of the army expressive of their views on
the subject. In February, 1840, General Robert Anderson (then a
captain in the adjutant general's department) addressed a letter to
Hon. John Reynolds, giving his views upon the benefits and advantages
which would result from establishing such an institution, with
suggestions for a plan for one. This letter formed the basis of a
report, January 7, 1841, by the Committee on Military Affairs,
submitting a bill in which the measures suggested therein were
embraced, and urging the necessary legislation as commending itself
"by every attribute and motive of patriotism, benevolence, national
gratitude, and economy." General Scott was deeply interested in the
subject, and in 1844 gave it special prominence in his annual report,
which led to a report as theretofore from the military committee. On
March 5, 1846, a report was also made on a memorial of the officers of
the army stationed at Fort Moultrie and the petition of officers of
the Second United States Infantry, and later (on January 19, 1848)
upon the memorial of the officers of the army then in Mexico. The
committee in each case approved and recommended the passage of the
bill reported January 7, 1841. The plan, however, did not assume
practical shape until the transmission by General Scott of the draft
for one hundred thousand dollars, a part of the tribute levied on the
City of Mexico for the benefit of the army, requesting that it might
be allowed to go to the credit of the asylum fund. He says in a letter
dated November, 1849, referring to the same matter: "The draft was
payable to me, and, in order to place the deposit beyond the control
of any individual functionary whatever, I indorsed it. The Bank of
America will place the within amount to the credit of the army asylum,
subject to the order of Congress." This fund, together with a balance
of eighteen thousand seven hundred and ninety-one dollars and nineteen
cents remaining from the same levy, was subsequently appropriated to
found the asylum. By the act those who are entitled to the benefits
of the asylum were soldiers of twenty years' service and men, whether
pensioners or not, who have been disabled by wounds or disease in the
service in the line of duty. An honorable discharge is a preliminary
requisite to admission. The inmates are all thus civilians. At first
the general in chief, the generals commanding the Eastern and Western
military divisions, the chiefs of the quartermaster's, commissary,
pay, and medical departments, and the adjutant general of the army
composed the board of commissioners _ex officio_ to administer the
affairs of the institution. An unexpended balance of fifty-four
thousand three hundred and nineteen dollars and twenty-three cents was
appropriated "for the benefit of discharged soldiers disabled by
wounds." A perpetual revenue was provided from "stoppages and fines
imposed by court-martial," "forfeitures on account of desertion," a
certain portion of the hospital and post fund of each station, moneys
belonging to the estates of deceased soldiers not claimed for three
years; also a deduction of twenty-five cents per month with his
consent from the pay of each enlisted man. The act of Congress of
March 3, 1859, changed the provisions of the original act and reduced
the number of commissioners to three--the commissary general of
subsistence, the surgeon general, and the adjutant general of the
army, substituted the name of "Soldiers' Home" for "Military Asylum,"
and extended the benefits of the Home to the soldiers of the War of
1812. The act of Congress of March 3, 1883, added the general in chief
commanding the army, the quartermaster general, the judge advocate
general, and the governor of the Home to the board of commissioners;
these officers, together with those already named, compose the board.
By the same act pensioners who are inmates of the Home may assign
their pension and have the same or any portion thereof paid to a wife,
child, or parent if living; otherwise the pension is paid to the
treasurer of the Home and held by him in trust for the pensioner, who
may, while an inmate, draw upon it for necessary purposes, and receive
whatever balance may remain upon his discharge.
In 1851 temporary asylums were established at New Orleans, La.,
Greenwoods Island, Miss., and Washington, D.C. The one at New Orleans
continued about one year. A tract of land was purchased in Mississippi
comprising one hundred and ten acres in 1853, and was occupied until
1855. At this date the inmates were removed to a branch asylum near
Harrodsburg, Mercer County, Ky. This latter asylum was discontinued in
1858 under the act of March 3, 1857, and the inmates transferred to
the Home near Washington, which was established in 1851-'52. This Home
is situated about three miles due north of the Capitol of the nation.
At first it comprised two hundred and fifty-six acres of land.
Subsequent acquisitions by purchases have been added, so that now the
grounds comprise five hundred acres and three quarters. The largest
part of the grounds are woodland, a portion being cultivated for the
benefit of the Home, and through it nearly ten miles of graded,
macadamized roads have been constructed, winding through the groves of
native and foreign selected trees. The park is open to the public at
proper hours, and forms a favorite drive and walk for the residents of
and visitors to Washington. The principal building for the inmates is
of white marble, the south part being called the Scott Building, after
the founder of the institution, and the addition on the north is
called the Sherman Building, after General W.T. Sherman. The old
homestead building to the west of and not far from the Scott Building
is called the Robert Anderson Building, in commemoration of the early
advocacy of and interest in the establishment of the Home by that
officer. This building was the home of the first inmates, and has
frequently been used as the summer residence of the Presidents. It has
been occupied by Presidents Buchanan, Lincoln, Hayes, and Arthur.
There is a building to the east called the King Building, after
Benjamin King, U.S.A., who was the surgeon in charge for thirteen
years. Brick quarters were erected to the northeast of the Sherman
Building in 1883, and, in honor of General Philip H. Sheridan, is
named the Sheridan Building. There is a neat chapel built of red
sandstone, which was completed in 1871, where religious services, both
Protestant and Roman Catholic, are regularly held. The officers in
immediate charge of the Home are a governor, a deputy governor, a
secretary and treasurer, and a medical officer detailed from the army.
The inmates who are not pensioned receive one dollar a month pocket
money, and twenty-five cents a day for such labor as they are detailed
for and willing to perform. Some beneficiaries who have families
receive a small monthly stipend and reside elsewhere than at the Home.
The whole number of permanent inmates admitted up to September 30,
1892, was 8,086. The number on the rolls January 31, 1893, was 1,196;
of these, 824 were present at the Home, some receiving outside
assistance, and some being absent on furlough.
A heroic statue in bronze of Lieutenant-General Winfield Scott, by
Launt Thompson, was erected in 1874 on the most commanding point of
the grounds. Aside from the artistic finish of the statue, it is a
wonderful likeness of the subject. There is also a perfectly designed
hospital for the sick and an infirmary for the aged and helpless,
which was completed in 1876. No grander or more lasting monument could
be erected to perpetuate the memory of the illustrious general than
the Soldiers' Home near Washington.
General Scott, in his later years, was very impatient of
contradiction, but when convinced that he was in error was always
ready to acknowledge it. In a diary of Colonel (now General) James
Grant Wilson, who was at that time aid-de-camp to General Banks,
occurs the following:
"On the morning of the 19th of February, 1864, I spent an hour with
Scott at his quarters, Delmonico's, corner Fourteenth Street and Fifth
Avenue. During our conversation he mentioned that he was engaged in
writing his Memoirs, and that he experienced a great deal of annoyance
from his difficulty in obtaining dates relating to events in the
southwest. He expressed regret that Gayarre, whom he knew and had met
before the war, had not published the third volume of the History of
Louisiana, which he [Scott] knew was in manuscript. I remarked that I
thought I had seen the work in three octavo volumes. 'No, you have not
seen three volumes. There are only two published, and the first is a
small 18mo volume,' was the old gentleman's answer. I further added
that it was my impression that I had seen three, when the old soldier
settled the matter by saying, 'Your impressions are entirely wrong,
colonel.' An hour later I purchased the third volume at a Broadway
bookseller's, and sent it to him with the following note:
"'FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL, _February 19, 1864_.
"'MY DEAR GENERAL: I have much pleasure in sending you the
third volume of Gayarre's History of Louisiana, which I trust may
contain the desired information. Should you wish to refer to the
first volume of his work, you will find it at the Astor Library. It
is an octavo volume of about five hundred pages, published by Harper
& Brothers, of this city. I have the honor to be, general, very
truly yours,
(Signed) "'JAS GRANT WILSON,
"'_Col., A.D.C._
"'_Lieutenant-General_ WINFIELD SCOTT.'
"Called on Scott soon after my arrival from New Orleans (early in
October, 1864), and had a very pleasant interview. Almost the first
thing he said was thanking me most kindly for the third volume of
Gayarre's History, and apologizing for his mistake. Told me his
Memoirs were completed and in press; that he had closed them abruptly,
as he was fearful that his end was near, during the early part of the
summer--about June, I think he said."
General Scott's health continuing bad, he was conveyed in a
quartermaster's boat from New York to West Point by General Stewart
Van Vliet, accompanied by several personal friends. He died at the
West Point Hotel a few minutes after eleven o'clock, May 29, 1866.
The last words which he spoke were to his coachman: "Peter, take good
care of my horse." He was buried, in accordance with his oft-expressed
wish, in the West Point Cemetery; on June 1st, his remains being
accompanied to the grave by some of the most illustrious men of the
country, including General Grant and Admiral Farragut. The horse
mentioned above was a splendid animal, seventeen hands high and finely
formed. The last time that General Scott mounted him was in the latter
part of 1859, which he did with the aid of a stepladder, for the
purpose of having an equestrian portrait painted for the State of
Virginia. The war coming on, the picture passed into possession of the
Mercantile Library of New York.
The author received a letter from the late Rutherford B. Hayes in
January, 1892, in which he said: "On my Southern tour in 1877 I
repeated two or three times something like this, purporting to be
quoted from General Scott: 'When the war is over and peace restored,
there will be no difficulty in restoring harmonious and friendly
relations between the soldiers of the sections. The great trouble will
be to restore and keep the peace between the non-belligerent
combatants of the war.' I did not hear the remark of General Scott. My
recollection is that I heard it from General Rosecrans." ...
On submitting President Hayes's letter to General Rosecrans, he made
the following statement: "I heard that story about General Scott from
General Charles P. Stone. General Stone was on the staff of General
Scott. At the beginning of the war, in the spring of 1861, he was
directed to organize the militia of the District of Columbia, and was
present when the following occurred, as he told me personally.
Shortly after the fall of Sumter and the President's call for troops,
Secretaries Seward, Chase, and Cameron came to General Scott's
residence in Washington one evening and found him at the dinner table.
One of them said: 'General, our duties as members of the Cabinet make
it very desirable for us to have some idea of what the probable range
and course of the war will be, that we may guide ourselves
accordingly. We have therefore come to you to get your judgment on the
situation.' On the general's invitation, they sat down at his dinner
table, and he went on to explain his idea of how the war would
progress from year to year. While he was talking, Mr. Seward seemed to
be somewhat impatient, and put in several little interruptions, but
finally subsided and allowed General Scott to proceed. The general
gave an outline of a war probably lasting from three and one half to
four years, but resulting in favor of the Union.
"On the general's announcement of his opinion that the Union would
triumph, Mr. Seward, rubbing his hands, inquired, 'Well, general, then
the troubles of the Federal Government will be at an end.' To which
General Scott replied, 'No, gentlemen, for a long time thereafter it
will require the exercise of the full powers of the Federal Government
to restrain the fury of the noncombatants.'"
To a young army officer he gave the following advice: "You are now
beginning life; you are ignorant of society and of yourself. You
appear to be industrious and studious enough to fit yourself for high
exploits in your profession, and your next object should be to make
yourself a perfect man of the world. To do that you must carefully
observe well-bred men. You must also learn to converse and to express
your thoughts in proper language. You must make acquaintances among
the best people, and take care always to be respectful to old persons
and to ladies." General Scott was always extremely gallant and
courteous to ladies and greatly enjoyed the society of intelligent and
refined women. As stated in the early part of this work, General Scott
had been an industrious student of the law, and the knowledge thus
acquired was of great service to him throughout his eventful career.
He was well read in the standard English authors--Shakespeare, Milton,
Addison, Pope, Johnson, Goldsmith, Dryden, Hume, Gibbon, and the early
English novelists. He was a constant reader of the best foreign and
American periodicals and the leading newspapers of the day. He was of
the opinion that wars would never cease, and therefore took little
interest in peace societies.
He held the opinion that the study of the higher mathematics had a
tendency to lessen the ability to move armies in the field, yet
expressed regret that he had not in his youth given more study to the
subject. He was very fond of whist, but was quite irritated when he
was beaten and generally had a ready excuse for his defeat. On one
occasion he was playing a very close game, in the midst of which he
left the table to expectorate in the fireplace. He lost the game and
said to one of the party, "Young gentleman, do you know why I lost
that game?" "No, sir," was the response. "It was because I got up to
spit." Scott was also a good chess player.
He used tobacco somewhat excessively until the close of the Mexican
War, after which time he renounced its use entirely. He was
exceedingly vain of his accomplishments as a cook and specially prided
himself on the knowledge of how to make good bread. He spent several
days in instructing the cook at Cozzens' Hotel, West Point, in this
art, and did not desist until the bread was made according to his
standard. He had a great aversion to dining alone, and rather than do
so would cheerfully pay for the meal of any pleasant friend whom he
would invite to dine with him. General Scott openly professed himself
a Christian and was a regular attendant at the services of the
Episcopal Church. He was broad and liberal in his views and condemned
no man who differed with him in religious opinion. He usually carried
a large, stout, gold-headed cane, and after entering his pew would
rest both hands on its head and bow his head, praying in silence. It
was difficult for him to kneel on account of his size. He scrupulously
joined with the greatest decorum and seriousness in all the services
of the church, responding in a distinct, loud voice.
He was impatient with persons who could not recollect or did not know
of dates and events which were conspicuous in his life. He was asked
at one time the date of the battle of Chippewa. He answered blandly,
"July 5, 1814." Turning to a friend, he remarked, "There is fame for
you." The same party inquired in what State he was born. He answered,
"Virginia." "Ah," said the questioner, "I thought you were a native of
Connecticut." This left him in a bad humor for the remainder of the
evening. The editor of this series has said of him: "General Scott was
a man of true courage--personally, morally, and religiously brave. He
was in manner, association, and feeling courtly and chivalrous. He
was always equal to the danger--great on great occasions. His
unswerving loyalty and patriotism were always conspicuous, and of such
a lofty character that had circumstances rendered the sacrifice
necessary he would have unhesitatingly followed the glorious example
of the Swiss hero of Sempach, who gave his life to his country six
hundred years ago.... He was too stately in his manners and too
exacting in his discipline--that power which Carnot calls 'the glory
of the soldier and the strength of armies.' A brief anecdote will
illustrate the strictness of his discipline. While on duty he always
required officers to be dressed according to their rank in the
minutest particular. The general's headquarters in Mexico comprised
two rooms, one opening into the other. In the rear room General Scott
slept. One night after the general had retired a member of his staff
wanted some water. The evening was warm and the hour late, being past
midnight. The officer rose to go in his shirt sleeves. He was
cautioned against the experiment as a dangerous one, for if Scott
caught him in his quarters with his coat off he would punish him. The
officer said he would risk it--that the general was asleep, and he
would make no noise. He opened the door softly and went on tiptoe to
the water pitcher. He had no time to drink before he heard the tinkle
of the bell, and the sentinel outside the door entered. 'Take this man
to the guardhouse,' was the brief order, and the coatless captain
spent the night on a hard plank under guard."[E] He did not conceal
his opinions of men or measures, and hence he very often gave
offense. It should be borne in mind that the public men of the age
when General Scott came on the stage, both military and civil, were as
a rule dignified, formal, and to some extent dogmatic. They held
themselves with great dignity, and their magnetism was the result of
their commanding abilities and high character, and they did not rely
for popularity upon the methods of modern times.
[Footnote E: Wilson's Sketches of Illustrious Soldiers: New York,
1874.]
General Grant, in mentioning General Scott's Mexican campaign, says:
"Both the strategy and tactics displayed by General Scott in the
various engagements of August 20, 1847, were faultless, as I look upon
them now after the lapse of so many years." And further: "General
Scott enjoys the rare distinction of having held high and successful
command in two wars, which were a full generation apart. In 1847 he
commanded, in Mexico, the sons of those officers who aided in his
brilliantly successful campaign against the British on the borders of
Canada in 1814." Daniel Webster, in a speech delivered in the United
States Senate February 20, 1848, said: "I understand, sir, that, there
is a report from General Scott, a man who has performed the most
brilliant campaign on recent military record, a man who has warred
against the enemy, warred against the climate, warred against a
thousand unpropitious circumstances, and has carried the flag of his
country to the capital of the enemy--honorably, proudly, humanely--to
his own permanent honor and the great military credit of his country.
And where is he? At Pueblo--at Pueblo, undergoing an inquiry before
his inferiors in rank, and other persons without military rank, while
the high powers he has exercised and executed with so much
distinction are transferred to another--I do not say to one unworthy
of them, but to one inferior in rank, station, and experience to
himself." No more fitting close to this sketch of his life can be
given than to quote the words of his friend, General Wilson: "He has
bequeathed to his country a name pure and unspotted--a name than which
the republic has few indeed that shine with a brighter luster, and a
name that will go down to future generations with those of the
greatest captains of the nineteenth century."
INDEX.
Abadie, Captain, Louisiana volunteers, 101.
Aberdeen, Lord, British Minister, 151.
Abraham, negro, Indian interpreter, 74.
Adams, George, Lieutenant, 253.
Adams, John Quincy, ex-President, 153.
Adams, the British vessel, captured, 13.
Allen, Captain, 17.
Alvarez, Mexican General, 219, 221, 231.
Amatha, Charley, 79.
American forces surrender to General Sheaffe, 18.
Ampudia, Pedro de, Mexican General, surrenders, 155, 156.
Anaya, Don Pedro Maria, General, elected President of Mexico, 257.
Andrews, Timothy P., Colonel, 226.
Anderson, Robert, General, 135, 322, 326.
Anecdote of Colonel Scott and a Roman Catholic priest, 19.
Armistice violated; General Scott's letter to President of Mexican
Republic, 218.
Arnold, Ripley A., Lieutenant, attacked by Indians, 115.
Arista, Mariano, Mexican General, 155.
Arthur, President, 326.
Assiola, Indian Chief, 88.
Atkinson, T.P., letter from General Scott to, 153.
Atristain, Señor, 216, 257.
Azapotzalco, the place of meeting of the commissioners, 216.
Baker, D.D., Lieutenant, 253.
Baker, Edward D., Colonel, killed at Ball's Bluff, 317.
Bankhead, James, Colonel, 112.
Barcelona, the steamer, 146.
Barker, Captain, 16.
Barr, Captain, Louisiana volunteers, 101.
Barragan, Peña y, 221.
Barren, Major, 109.
Basinger, William E., Lieutenant, 88.
Battle on the Ouithlacoochee, 90-92.
Beall, Benjamin Lloyd, Major, 172.
Beard, Joseph, Major, 95.
Beauregard, P.T., Lieutenant, 203.
Beckwith, J.C., letter to, from General Scott, 154.
Belknap, William G., 281.
Benton, Thomas H., 159.
Biddle, Richard, speech in Congress, 124-127.
Binney, Horace, letter to General Scott, 304.
Black Hawk War, the, 52, 55.
Blockade of Southern ports, 296, 297.
Board of Army Officers, 47.
Boerstler, Charles G., Colonel, 27.
Bolton, Commodore, 97.
Bones, George, Captain, 110.
Botts, Benjamin, 5.
Boyd, John Parker, General, attack on Fort Niagara, 24.
Brady, Hugh, Major, 33;
sketch of, 39.
Brady, Thomas A., First-Lieutenant, 253.
Brant, Indian, attacks Colonel Scott, 18, 19.
Bravo, D. Nicholas, Mexican General, 225, 227.
Brazos Santiago, 159.
Brisbane, Abbott H, Colonel, 112.
Brooks, Horace, Captain, 225.
Brown, Jacob, General, 27, 38-40.
Bryant, Thomas S., Captain, 96.
Buchanan, James, President, 296, 326.
Bull Run, 308.
Burlington Heights, 28.
Burnett, Ward B., Colonel, 209.
Burnham, Major, 185.
Burr, Aaron, 5-8.
Burt, Captain, Louisiana volunteers, 101.
Butler, Pierce M., Colonel, 112, 115, 209.
Butler, William O., General, 244, 245, 256, 264.
Cadwallader, George, General, 193, 206, 209, 210, 221, 226, 249.
Caldwell, James N., Captain, 215.
Caldwell, Robert C., First-Lieutenant, 253.
Caledonia, British brig, 13.
Calhoun, John C., 151.
Call, Richard Keith, General, 89.
Cameron, Simon, 309, 314, 315, 330.
Canada political agitation, 272.
Cano, D. Juan, Mexican General, 225.
Caroline, the steamboat, 145.
Casey, Silas, Captain, 207, 226.
Cass, Lewis, 59, 66, 67, 76, 77.
Cerro Gortlo, the battle of, 176, 190.
Chandler, John, Colonel, attack on Fort George, 24.
Chapultepec, battle of, 223, 228.
Charleston, S.C., furnishes troops and supplies, 94.
Chase, Secretary, 330.
Chauncey, Isaac, Commodore, 24, 28.
Cherokee Indians, removal of, from Georgia, 129.
Chesapeake, the, boarded by the Leopard, 6.
Chesnut, Colonel, 95.
Childs, Thomas, Lieutenant-Colonel, 176, 194, 236.
Chippewa, battle of, 32.
Cholera among troops at Chicago, 56, 57.
Chrysler's Farm, engagement at, 29.
Chrystie, John, Colonel, 14, 17.
Cincinnati, Society of the, 42.
City of Mexico, 195, 228.
Civil war, beginning of, 295, 296.
Clarke, Henry Francis, Colonel, 212, 249.
Clay, Cassius M., 306.
Clay, Henry, 145, 151.
Clinch, Duncan L., General, 82, 88, 93.
Clinton, Governor, 42.
Clifton, Captain, 112.
Coffin, Captain, 19.
Congress declares war against Great Britain, 13.
Congress votes a medal to General Scott, 42.
Conner, Commodore, 165.
Conto, Señor, 216, 257.
Cooper, Mark A., Major, 112, 119.
Coto, Señor, 216.
Crane, Ichabod B., Colonel, 136.
Crawford, William H., 40.
Cuevas, Señor, 257.
Cummings, Arthur C., Captain, 215.
Cunningham, Captain, 94.
Cushing, Caleb, General, 281.
Dade, Francis Langhorne, Major, killed, 88.
Dallas, Commodore, 97.
Davis, Edward, General, 312.
Davis, Jefferson, 291.
Dearborn, Henry, General, 14, 23, 24.
Dennis, Colonel, 29.
Devlin, John S., acting quartermaster, 253.
Dominguez commands Mexicans in American army, 237.
Douglas, Stephen A., 303.
Douglass, John M., Major, 112.
Drum, Simon H., Captain, 220, 225.
Drummond, Lieutenant-General Sir Gordon, 34.
Duane, James Chatham, General, 305.
Duel between Burr and Hamilton, 5.
Dulaney, William, Major, 253.
Duncan, James, Lieutenant-Colonel, 108, 221, 271, 277, 283, 286.
Duval, William P., Governor, 82.
Eaton, J.H., Secretary of War, 49, 50, 76, 82.
Edson, Alvin, Captain, 165.
Elliott, Lieutenant, plans destruction of British brigs, 13.
Eustis, Abram, Brigadier-General, 111, 113, 114.
Expedition of Aaron Burr, 5, 6.
Fagan, John, Major, 75.
Fanning, Alexander C.W., Major, 88.
Farquhar, William, Captain, 302.
Farragut, Admiral D.G., 329.
Fenwick, John R., Colonel, 16.
Field, Thomas Y., Lieutenant, 253.
Fillmore, Millard, President, 293.
Finances of Mexico, 239.
Finlay, Captain, 94.
Florida War, 72, 87, 97-99, 112.
Florida, army of, 115.
Floyd, John B., 136, 298.
Floyd, Robertson R., Captain, 96.
Fort Brooke, the army concentrate there, 118.
Fort Brown occupied by General Taylor, 154.
Fort Erie surrenders, 30;
invested, 37.
Fort George, attack on, 16, 17;
storming of, 24.
Fort Niagara, defeat of the British at, 26.
Foster, William Sewell, Lieutenant-Colonel, 102.
Frazer, William, Captain, 88.
Freeman, Norvell, Lieutenant, 253.
Fremont, John C., General, 308.
Frontera, Mexican General, 207, 208.
Gadsden, James, Colonel, 75.
Gaines, Edmund, General, 48, 103.
Gaines, J.P., Major, 250.
Gamboa, D. Manuel, Mexican General, 225.
Gardiner, George, 88.
Gardner, Charles K., Lieutenant, 11.
Gardner, Franklin, 175.
Garland, John, General, 220, 221.
Gatlin, John Slade, Dr., 88.
Georgia troops, 95, 96, 110.
Gibson, Captain, 18.
Giles, William B., 5-7.
Goodwyn, Robert H., Colonel, 112-116.
Graham, Captain, 110.
Graham, William A., Secretary of the Navy, 293.
Grant, Ulysses S., General, 322, 329, 334.
Great Britain, war declared against, 11.
Greenway, James, Dr., 3.
Griffin, Charles, Captain, 302.
Guadalupe Hidalgo, text of treaty of, 257, 264.
Hagner, Peter V., Captain, 225.
Halleck, Henry W., General, 308.
Hamilton, Alexander, 5.
Hamilton, John C., 292.
Hamilton, Schuyler, Lieutenant, 250.
Hampton, Wade, General, 7, 9-12, 28.
Hardy, Sir Thomas, 6.
Hargrave, James, 4.
Harney, John, Governor, 142-144.
Harney, William S., Colonel, 186, 224.
Harris, Captain, 33.
Harris, Joseph W., Lieutenant, 83.
Harrison, William Henry, General, 152.
Haskell, William T., Colonel, 166.
Hayes, Rutherford B., President, 326, 329.
Heileman, Julius Frederick, Major, 65, 66.
Henderson, Charles A., Lieutenant, 253.
Henderson, Richard, Lieutenant, 88.
Henry, Alexander, letter to General Scott, 304.
Henry, George, Captain, 115.
Hernandez, John M., General, 96.
Herrera, General, 216.
Hetzel, Abner R., Captain, 135.
Hindman, Jacob, Major, 30, 39.
Hitchcock, Ethan A., Captain, 100, 164, 284.
Holata, Amathla, 75, 77, 78, 79.
Hugér, Benjamin, Captain, 220, 224.
Hull, William, General, 13.
Hunt, Henry J., Lieutenant, 221.
Ingersoll, Charles J., 153.
Irish prisoners, 20.
Irving, Washington, 5.
Izard, George, Colonel, 13.
Izard, James Farley, Lieutenant, 101, 102.
Jackson, Andrew, General, 5, 40, 42, 46, 63, 151.
Jackson, Thomas J., Lieutenant, 226.
Jacobs, Captain (Indian), attacks General Scott, 18, 19.
Jefferson, Thomas, President, 7.
Jesup, Thomas S., General, 31, 33, 39, 122, 123.
Johnston, Joseph E., Colonel, 226.
Juarata, Padre, leader of guerrillas, 237.
Judd, Henry, Jr., Lieutenant, 172.
Kearney, Philip, Captain, 211.
Keayes, J.S., Lieutenant, 88.
Ke-o-Kuck, Indian chief, 58.
Ker, Croghan, Captain, Louisiana volunteers, 107.
Ker, William H., Captain, 101.
Keyes, Erastus D., Lieutenant, 135.
King, William R., 293.
Kirby, Reynold M., Major, 94, 115.
Lally, Folliot T., Major, 215, 216.
Landero, José Juan de, Mexican General, 169, 170.
Lane, Joseph, General, 237, 256.
Lang, William, Captain, 253.
Lawson, Thomas, Lieutenant-Colonel, 101.
Leavenworth, Henry, Major, 31, 33
Lee, Robert E., Captain, 101, 164, 175, 203, 208, 223, 225, 284, 305.
Leigh, Benjamin Watkins, 10, 70.
Lendrum, Thomas W., 88.
Leon, Mexican General, 219.
"Leonidas letter," the, 267, 287.
Leopard, British frigate, 6.
Lewis, Morgan, General, 26.
Lincoln, Abraham, President, 296, 301, 312, 313, 315, 316, 326.
Lindsay, William, Colonel, 111, 135.
Lobas Island, 161.
Loring, William W., Major, 206, 212.
Louisiana troops, 119.
Lovell, Christopher H., Lieutenant, 280.
Lundy's Lane, battle of, 34-36.
McCauley, Charles G., Lieutenant, 253.
McClellan, George B., General, 178, 206, 308.
McClure, Brigadier-General, New York militia, 28.
McComb, Alexander, Colonel, 24, 29, 50, 153.
McDonald, Adjutant, 146.
McDowell, Irwin, General, 307.
McDuffie, George, 61-63.
McFeely, George, Lieutenant-Colonel, 24.
McIntosh, James S., Colonel, 193, 220.
McKenzie, Colonel, 226.
McLemore, Captain, 110, 112.
McNeill, John, Jr., General, 31, 33, 39.
McRee, William, Colonel, 39.
McTavish, Carroll, 41.
Mackall, William W., Major, 227.
Madison, James, President, 22.
Magee, Captain, Louisiana volunteers, 101.
Magruder, John B., Lieutenant, 206, 226, 302.
Malone, Captain, 119.
Mansfield, Mr., British Minister, 11.
Marcy, William L., 146, 158, 159, 269.
Marks, George H., Captain, 113.
Marks, Samuel F., Captain, 101.
Marshall, General, 245-248.
Marshall, John, Chief-Justice, 136.
Martin Luther, 5.
Mason, Captain, 286.
Mason, Daniel, 3.
Mason, James M., 321.
Mason, Winfield, 3.
Massacre of General Thompson and others, 89.
May, James F., 5.
Mayo, John, Colonel, 41.
Mendoza, Mexican General, 205, 207.
Mico, Indian chief, 78.
Miconopy, Indian chief, 78.
Miller, James, Colonel, 25.
Mississippi River, free navigation of, 310.
Molino del Rey, battle of, 219-222.
Monroe, James, President, 22.
Monterde, D. Mariano, Mexican General, 225.
Morales, Mexican General, 168, 169.
Morgan, George W., Colonel, 208.
Mormon expedition, 294.
Morris, Charles T., Captain, 207.
Mount Vernon, 316, 317.
Mudge, Robert Richard, Lieutenant, 88.
Mullaney, James Robert, Lieutenant-Colonel, 16.
Nashville, Confederate steamer, 320.
Negroes engaged in Dade massacre, 111.
Nicholson, Augustus S., Lieutenant, 253.
Nicholson, John S., Lieutenant, 253.
Nueva de Villa Gutierrez, Colonel, 170.
Nullification in South Carolina, 61-64.
Ogilvie, James, Captain, 4-17.
O'Riley, commander of deserters, captured, 237, 238.
Pachuca occupied, 248.
Packenham, Sir Richard, 151.
Paez, General, 48.
Page, Captain, 135.
Palo Alto, battle of, 155.
Parish, Richard C., Colonel, 90.
Patterson, Robert, General, 245.
Payne, Matthew M., Major, 135.
Payne's Landing, treaty of, 74.
Peña y Peña, 236, 257.
Perez, Mexican General, 208-219.
Perry, Matthew C., Commodore, 169.
Perry, Oliver Hazard, Captain, 14, 24.
Pierce, Franklin, General, 207, 214, 292, 293.
Pike, Zebulon, General, 24.
Pillow, Gideon J., General, 170, 176, 193, 211, 224, 226, 276, 281.
Plympton, Joseph, Lieutenant-Colonel, 208, 220.
Porter, Captain, 25.
Porter, Moses, General, 24, 30.
Porter, W., Secretary to General Gaines, 108.
Prevost, Sir George, 26, 27.
Puebla, occupation of, 197.
Putnam, Benjamin A., Major, 93.
Putnam, General, 5.
Queenstown Heights, storming of, 15.
Quijano, Benito, Mexican commissioner, 214.
Quitman, John A., General, 172, 204, 206, 224, 226, 228, 280.
Randolph, John, 5.
Rangel, Mexican General, 219.
Rea, Mexican General, 236.
Read, Leigh, Colonel, 90, 113.
Resaca de la Palma, battle of, 155.
Ravenel, Captain, 94.
Reynolds, E. McD., Lieutenant, 253.
Reynolds, John G., Captain, 253.
Riall, General, moves to Burlington Heights, 33.
Rich, Jabez L., Lieutenant, 253.
Ridgely, S.C., Captain, 281.
Riley, Bennet, General, 206, 208, 209.
Ripley, Eleazer W., 39.
Ripley, R.S., Lieutenant, 185.
Roach, Isaac, Jr., Lieutenant, 13, 16.
Robertson, Judge, 302, 303.
Robinson, David, Judge, 4.
Robinson, Edward B., Captain, 110.
Robles, Mexican Lieutenant-Colonel, 170.
Rogers, A.P., Lieutenant, 166.
Rogers, Captain Louisiana volunteers, 101.
Rosecrans, William S., General, 308, 329.
Ruffin, Thomas, 5.
Sacs and Fox Indians, treaty with, 58.
Sackett's Harbor, landing of the British, 27.
Sanders, William G., Captain, 107.
Sands, Richard M., Major, 101.
San Jacinto, steamer, 321.
San Pablo, convent of, 212.
San Patricio Battalion, 237.
Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez, General, 156, 173, 175, 190, 206, 209, 225,
230, 231, 236, 256, 257.
Scott, Ann, 3.
Scott, Camilla, 41.
Scott, Cornelia, 41.
Scott, Henry L., Colonel, 135, 164, 178, 284.
Scott, James, death of, 1, 2.
Scott, Winfield, birth and parentage, 1; runs away from Sunday
school, 2; defends his teacher; at William and Mary College, 4;
enters on the practice of law; present at the trial of Aaron Burr,
5; attacks British camp at Lynn Haven Bay; goes to South Carolina to
practice law; returns to Petersburg, Va., to practice law; joins
Petersburg cavalry company, 6; receives commission as Captain in the
U.S. army; recruits his company and embarks for New Orleans, 7;
arrested and tried by court-martial for words spoken of General
Wilkinson, 8; tenders his resignation, 8; finding of the court, 9;
letter to Lewis Edwards, 10; rejoins the army at Baton Rouge, La.;
embarks for Washington; vessel gets aground, 11; appointed Colonel;
visits the Secretary of War with General Hampton; an unpleasant
incident, 12; war with Great Britain; ordered to the Niagara
frontier, 13; volunteers to cross the Niagara; marches to Lewiston,
16; the attack on Fort George, 17; a flag of truce, 18; a prisoner,
and attacked by Indians; embarks for Boston, 19; addresses Irish
prisoners; letter to Secretary of War, 20; selects hostages in
retaliation for Irish prisoners, 21; returns to Washington, 22;
ordered to Philadelphia; appointed Adjutant General; promoted
Colonel of his regiment; joins General Dearborn, and appointed chief
of staff, 23; assault on Fort George; Scott leads the advance, 24;
struck by a piece of timber and collar bone broken, 25; anecdote of
a British officer, 26; resigns the office of Adjutant General, 27;
joins General Wilkinson, 28; marches for Sackett's Harbor; appointed
to command of a battalion; preparing new levies of troops, 29;
appointed Brigadier General; ordered to join General Jacob Brown;
establishes camp of instruction at Sackett's Harbor; assigned to a
new command; moves toward Chippewa, 30; wins the battle of Chippewa;
report of General Brown, 32; moves to mouth of the Niagara, 33;
battle of Lundy's Lane, 34, 35; General Scott disabled, 37-39; in
command for defense of Philadelphia and Baltimore, 39; reception at
Princeton; declined to act as Secretary of War; ordered to Europe,
40; receives attention in Europe; return home; headquarters in New
York; married to Miss Mayo, of Richmond; names of his children, 41;
Congress passes resolutions complimenting him; present at the death
of President Monroe; thanked by Legislatures of Virginia and New
York; honorary member of the Society of the Cincinnati; order of
General Jackson, 42; letter of General Jackson to General Scott; his
reply, 43; letter to General Jackson, 44; General Jackson's reply;
Scott calls on General Jackson, 45; tribute to General Jackson; his
work on general regulations for the army, 46; president of board of
army and militia officers; publication of his work on infantry
tactics; the temperance reform; his views on, 47; controversy with
General Gaines; tenders his resignation; not accepted, 48; letter to
Secretary of War; the Secretary's reply, 49; assigned to command of
Eastern Department; treaty with Sac Indians, 50; ordered to
Illinois; Asiatic cholera, 53; letter to Governor Reynolds, 54;
newspaper extracts in regard to General Scott's action in the
cholera epidemic, 55-57; commissioner to treat with Indians; result
of the treaty, 58; arrives in New York, and ordered to Washington;
the tariff act of 1828 and excitement in South Carolina, 60; ordered
to South Carolina, 66; letter of instruction from Secretary of War;
arrival in Charleston, 66, 67; detained by accident, 68; success of
his mission, 71; ordered to immediate command in Florida, 98;
disposition of troops, 110-112; movement of troops, 114; the army
arrives at Tampa Bay, 117; arrival at Fort Brooke, 118; embarks on
St. John's River, 120; complaint against General Jesup; court of
inquiry on Florida campaign, 122; finding of the court; letter to
Secretary of War, 123; defense in Congress, 124; tendered dinner in
New York; declines, 127; ordered to remove the Creek Indians, 129;
addresses to troops and Indians, 130, 132, 133; the Indians move
West, 135; ordered to look after Canada insurgents, 139; ordered to
Maine, 140; meets Governor Everett; proceeds to Portland, 141;
settlement of the troubles, 143, 144; uprising in Upper Canada;
affair of the Caroline, 144, 145; ordered to the scene of the
troubles; meets Governor Marcy, 146; letter to commanding officer of
British vessels, 147; the affair settled, 147, 148; his name
presented to Whig Convention as candidate for the presidency, 152;
effort in Congress to reduce his pay; letter to T.P. Atkinson on
slavery, 153; letter to peace convention, 154; the War with Mexico;
the "hasty plate of soup," 157; his opinion of General Taylor;
ordered to Mexico; goes _via_ New Orleans, 158; arrives at Brazos
Santiago, 159; fails to meet General Taylor, 161; landing of the
troops at Vera Cruz, 162; investment and surrender of Vera Cruz,
164-170; advances on Jalapa, 173; Cerro Gordo, 178, 179, 187;
occupation of Puebla, 193; movement toward the City of Mexico;
criticism by the Duke of Wellington, 195, 196; address to Mexican
people, 198; movement on and capture of Padierna, 204-207;
Churubusco, 211; arrival of Nicholas P. Trist, U.S. Commissioner,
213; cessation of hostilities by armistice, 214; the armistice
ended, 218; Molino del Rey, 219-222; attack on and capture of
Chapultepec, 226, 227; occupation of the capital; orders for
government of the city, 229; additional orders, 231-234; orders for
obtaining revenue in Mexico, 240-242; letter to Secretary of War,
243; his civil administration of Mexico, 246, 247; reports his total
force, January 6, 1848; ordered before a court of inquiry; relieved
from command of the army, 248; money levied on City of Mexico, 255;
turns over command of the army, 264; General Orders No. 349, 270;
letter to General Worth, 272; relieved from duty, 277, 278; reads a
paper before the court of inquiry, 281, 282; submits paper to court
of inquiry, 284; embarks at Vera Cruz for home, 288; receives thanks
of Congress, 289; discontent in Canada, 293; candidate for the
presidency (1852), 293; on commission to settle boundary line with
Great Britain, 295; letter to President Buchanan, 296, 297; letter
to Secretary of War, 297, 298; letter to Secretary of War, December
28, 1861, 298; letter to Secretary Seward, March 3, 1861, 299;
firing of guns at Mobile on announcement that he had resigned, 304;
order of April 26, 1861, at Washington, D.C., 306; issues General
Orders No. 17, 308; complains of General McClellan, 309; request to
be placed on retired list, 311, 312; addresses the President and
Cabinet on his retirement, 313; sails for Europe, November 9, 1861,
318; army asylum fund, 323; statue of, at Soldiers' Home, 327; his
death and last words, 329; his acquaintance with English authors,
331; advice to young army officer, 330, 331; anecdote of battle of
Chippewa, 332; vain of his accomplishments; regular attendant at the
Episcopal Church, 332; goes to West Point, 328; his loyalty, his
strict ideas of discipline; anecdote, 333.
Sears, Henry B., Lieutenant, 215.
Secretary of War to General Gaines, 100.
Seminole council, 85.
Seward, Secretary, anecdote of General Scott, 330.
Shannon, Samuel, Captain, 102.
Shaw, H.B., Major, 135.
Sheaffe, General Sir Roger Hale, 17-19.
Shelton, Joseph, General, 116.
Sheridan, Philip H., General, 326.
Sherman, William T., General, 326.
Shields, James, General, 176, 207, 209, 280.
Shubrick, William B., Commodore, 238.
Sibley, Henry H., Captain, 212.
Simms, John D., Lieutenant, 253.
Slidell, John, 321.
Small, William F., Captain, 236.
Smith, Charles F., Captain, 221.
Smith, Colonel, Louisiana volunteers, 101, 118.
Smith, Constantine, Lieutenant, 89.
Smith, E. Kirby, Captain, 221.
Smith, Gustavus W., Lieutenant, 207.
Smith, Persifor F., Colonel, 101, 112, 206, 208, 209, 211, 214, 227.
Smyth, Alexander, General, 14.
Soldiers' Home at Washington, 323, 324, 326.
Soto, Don Juan, Vera Cruz, 215.
Steptoe, Edward J., Captain, 223.
Stone, Charles P., General, 301, 318.
Strahan, Captain, 17.
Sumner, Edwin V., Major, 175, 211, 220, 221, 224.
Sutherland, David J., Lieutenant, 253.
Swift, Joseph G., Colonel, 28.
Tampico letter, the, 267, 268.
Tariff of 1828 and trouble In South Carolina, 60.
Taylor, Francis, Captain, 135, 223.
Taylor, Governor, Carolina, 61.
Taylor, Zachary, General, 154, 289.
Tazewell, Littleton W., 5.
Temperance reform, 47.
Terrett, George H., Captain, 253.
Texas, causes which led to annexation, 149, 154.
Thistle, Captain, Louisiana volunteers, 101.
Thomas, James H., Colonel, 173.
Thompson, General, Indian agent, 79.
Thompson, Launt, 327.
Thurston, Charles Myron, Captain, 110.
Timrod, Captain, 94.
Totten, Joseph G., Colonel, 17, 18, 28, 164.
Towson, Captain, ordered to report to St. Elliott, 13, 16, 33, 37.
Towson, Nathan, General, 281.
Trent, affair of the, 321.
Tripp, T.S., Captain, 115.
Trist, Nicholas P., commissioner, 213, 216, 257, 281.
Trousdale, William, Colonel, 226.
Truxton, Commodore, 5.
Tweedale, Marquis of, crosses the Chippewa, 30.
Twiggs, David E., General, 101, 173, 176, 193, 200, 220.
Twiggs, Levi, Major, 253.
Tyler, John, President, 152.
Upshur, Abel P., Secretary of State, 151.
Valencia, Mexican General, 204, 211, 248.
Van Buren, Martin, President, 145.
Van Rensselaer, Colonel, 144.
Van Rensselaer, Solomon, General, 14, 17.
Van Rensselaer, Stephen, General, 14, 16, 18.
Van Vliet, Stewart, General, 328.
Vera Cruz, 161, 162, 167, 171.
Villamil, Mora y., General, 214, 216, 257.
Vincent, General, 27.
Vinton, John R., Colonel, 166.
Volunteer American officers paroled, 19.
Wadsworth, Decius, General, 15.
Walker, Robert J., 159.
Washington, George, General, 5.
Watson, Samuel E., Lieutenant-Colonel, 253.
"Wayward Sisters" letter, 299, 300.
Webb, Captain, U.S.N., 97.
Webster, Daniel, 293.
Weed, Thurlow, 318.
Wellington, Duke of, 195.
Welsh, Henry, Lieutenant, 253.
Wheelock, Eleazer, General, 30.
Wilkes, Charles, Commodore, 321.
Wilkinson, James, General, 7, 8, 28.
William and Mary College, 4.
Williams, Captain, Louisiana volunteers, 101.
Williams, T., A.-D.-C., 250.
Wilson, Henry, Colonel, 173.
Wilson, James Grant, General, 327, 328, 335.
Winder, William Henry, General, 24, 27.
Winfield, Elizabeth, 3.
Winfield, John, 3.
Wirt, William, 5.
Withers, Jones M., 248.
Wood, Major, 37.
Wool, John E., Captain, 15-17.
Worth, W.J., General, 136, 170, 174, 193, 265-267, 270, 271, 273,
274-276, 285.
Wright, George, Major, 220.
Wynkoop, Francis M., Colonel, 166, 248.
Young, William L., Lieutenant, 253.
Zacatepetl, Barreiro, Colonel, 205.
THE END.
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_HISTORY OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES_, from the Revolution to
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[Illustration: INDIAN'S TRAP.]
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